[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大方便佛報恩經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.156) › 6.20 # 大方便佛報恩經 6.20 大方便佛報恩經 6.20 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [6.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.156.6.20) 答曰：「不爾。二乘有退，佛不退故。退有三種：果退、不果退、所用退。果退者，聲聞三果退，下果不退。中乘二種，若百劫習行成辟支佛，果不退。若本是下乘三果作辟支佛，則果有退。佛果不退。不果退者，若向三乘人，未得而退，若修比丘三業，懈墮不進。凡有所修習，退而不勤，名不果退也。所用退者，凡所得法不現前用，如佛十力，小乘十智，用一餘則不用。如誦十萬言經，若不誦時，盡名所用退也。下乘不果退，中乘亦有不果退；佛無不果退，於一切行中無不勤故。二乘有所用退也，佛則不定。又云：『於十力中用一不用九，故名退也。』有云：『無不用退。如誦二十萬言經，凡夫力劣故，或一日二日誦訖；佛能即時誦訖。十力亦爾，用能即用。無障礙故，無不用退。』又云：『佛無不用退。如著泥洹僧時，不直爾著，如凡夫人法，皆為利益眾生故。凡所用法，有益則用，無益不用，非不能用，故無用退。』雖各有所解，而云不可定也。佛意不可思議。」 > Answer: "It is not so. The two vehicles have retrogression, whereas the Buddha does not retrogress. Retrogression is of three kinds: retrogression from the fruit, retrogression from not yet attaining the fruit, and retrogression in application. As for retrogression from the fruit, the śrāvaka retrogresses from the \[upper\] three fruits, but does not retrogress from the lowest fruit. In the middle vehicle there are two kinds: if one has practiced for a hundred kalpas and become a pratyekabuddha, there is no retrogression from the fruit; if originally one was at the three fruits of the lower vehicle and became a pratyekabuddha, then there is retrogression from the fruit. The Buddha does not retrogress from the fruit. As for retrogression from not yet attaining the fruit: if one is heading toward the three vehicles and retrogresses before attaining them; or if one cultivates the three karmas of a bhikṣu and becomes lax and fails to advance—whenever one has something to cultivate and retrogresses without being diligent, this is called retrogression from not yet attaining the fruit. As for retrogression in application: whenever the dharmas one has attained are not applied in the present, such as the ten powers of a Buddha or the ten knowledges of the Hīnayāna—when one applies one, the others are not applied; or like reciting a sūtra of one hundred thousand words, when one is not reciting it, all such instances are called retrogression in application. The lower vehicle has retrogression from not yet attaining the fruit, and the middle vehicle also has retrogression from not yet attaining the fruit; the Buddha has no retrogression from not yet attaining the fruit, because among all practices there is none in which he is not diligent. The two vehicles have retrogression in application, but for the Buddha it is not definitively so. Furthermore, it is said: 'Applying one among the ten powers and not applying nine is therefore called retrogression.' Some say: 'There is no retrogression in non-application. For example, in reciting a sūtra of two hundred thousand words, because the strength of ordinary beings is weak, they finish reciting it in one or two days; the Buddha can finish reciting it instantly. It is the same with the ten powers: when he applies them, he can apply them instantly; because there is no obstruction, there is no retrogression in non-application.' Again it is said: 'The Buddha has no retrogression in non-application. Just as when he puts on his antarvāsaka, he does not put it on merely casually as in the practice of ordinary beings, but entirely for the benefit of sentient beings. Whatever dharmas he applies, if there is benefit he applies them, and if there is no benefit he does not apply them; it is not that he is unable to apply them, and therefore there is no retrogression in application.' Although each has their own understanding, they say it cannot be definitively determined. The Buddha's intention is inconceivable." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 6.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.156.6.19) - [Next: 6.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.156.6.21) - [Up: 6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.156.6) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.156~en-mt.6.20) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [薩婆多毘尼毘婆沙](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.vinaya.sastra.sarvastivadavinayavibhasa*zh-t1440.1.12) — Classical Chinese - [ཐབས་མཁས་པ་ཆེན་པོ་སངས་རྒྱས་དྲིན་ལན་བསབ་པའི་མདོ](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.tibet.kangyur.mdo_sde.353.6.6) — Classical Tibetan --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.156.6.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.156.6.20) · Pramāṇa